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Something to think about before teaching:

A priest’s job was offering sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of the people. These sacrifices which involved the death of an animal were a reminder that the penalty for sin is death. One priest was chosen as the high priest. Once a year he would enter into the Holy of Holies.

Jesus, the Great High Priest, offered a sacrifice not for himself but of himself. It is through his own self-offering, one in which was the perfect sacrifice, that forgiveness is found.

Junkyard warslesson two: great high priest

Main Point: Jesus, the Great High Priest, gives us complete forgiveness through his own self-offering.

Bible Verse: Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16; Jesus as High Priest, Hebrews 4:14-16 ; 5: 1-10

Bible Story: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

constructing: putting together what God says about the name-Bible Story -Junkyard Wars Story-Junkyard Wars Competition

testing: applying the name-Junkyard Lab-Craft-Game-Bible Memory-Express Yourself -Snack-Trading Cards -Family Time

Each Lesson contains:

discovering: finding out about the name-Guess the Junk-Alex and Amanda, the Junkyard Champions-Uncovering the Name-Discovering the Verse

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Evidenceguess the junkSupplies: Golf clubPreparation: Place the golf club in a box or in the junk yard.

Welcome to the Junkyard.

I am going to give you three clues about what our junk find of the day is. Let’s see if you can guess what it is. (Either show the box or indicate that the junk item is somewhere among the other junk items.)

Clue #1: This is made of metal. Clue #2: It is used in a sport. Clue #3: It is used to hit a ball located on the ground.

Answer: golf club

alex and Amanda, the junkyard championsSupplies: Golf club

Alex is swinging a golf club.

Amanda: Alex! What are you doing now? We are supposed to be training. The Junkyard Championship is only four weeks away.

Alex: I am training.

Amanda: By swinging a golf club?

Alex: They did say that the second level of the competition would involve golf balls. So I’m practicing my swing.

Amanda: No, we need to learn everything we can

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about golf balls. You know how much they weigh, how big they are, how high they will go. . .

Alex: And what it feels like to hit one.

Amanda: I think this is a bad idea. We need to understand the golf ball.

Alex: We need to hit a golf ball.

Amanda: No.

Alex: You need to loosen up a bit. You know have some fun. Enjoy life. Hit a golf ball. Let me show you. (Puts a pretend golf ball down on the ground and swings. Follows it with his hand over his eyes.)

Amanda: That was the golf ball I was studying. I was just about to weigh it.

Alex: Well, I was just about to hit it. Which I did. Although I’m not really sure where it went.

Amanda: I will go find it. And then I will weigh it.

(Amanda leaves while Alex continues to practice his swing while muttering about Amanda.)

Amanda: (From off stage.) Alex! I found the golf ball. It is in the neighbor’s living room. It went right through their front window.

Alex: Oops.

Amanda: (Comes back on stage with the ball.) I told you this was a bad idea.

Alex: Yeah, maybe it was. I guess I’d better go over there and tell them I’m sorry. I hope they forgive me.

Amanda: And you need to offer to pay for the window.

Alex: Of course. I know that. I will sacrifice my money to pay for this oops. (Flexes his muscles.) I didn’t even know my own strength.

Amanda glares at him.

Alex: Ok, ok. I’m sorry. I’ll go tell them I’m sorry.

uncovering the nameSupplies: Picture of an ephod, sign “Great High Priest”

Each week our name of Jesus is going to have a symbol to help us remember the meaning of the name. We will look at a picture that has part of the symbol up close. More of the symbol will be shown a little at a time. See if you can guess what the symbol is.

(This can be done by having the kids yell out answers, dividing into two teams with a captain or choosing two kids to play in front of everyone.)

The symbol is an ephod. It looks like a vest with some jewels on it. The ephod was part of the clothing that The High Priest would wear. This priest would wear special clothing on a day called the Day of Atonement. The ephod was part of that clothing.

On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would make a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Every single year the High Priest would return and do this. Jesus, as the Great High Priest, made the sacrifice for the sins of the people, however, He only had to make it once. He was the perfect sacrifice. He offered himself as the sacrifice.

Jesus, the Great High Priest, gives us complete forgiveness through his own self-offering.

Display: Place the symbol in the display. Make sure to print out the name “Great High Priest.”

discovering the verseRead Hebrews 4:14 together:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

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Let’s say the verse again with some motions to help us remember it.

Therefore (Put hands out palm side up.)Since we (Point to self.)Have a great (Put hands out in front with palms facing each other and move out to indicate great-ness.)High priest (Put hand with palm down up high.)Who has ascended (With one hand “walk” fingers up from waist level to shoulder level.)Into heaven, (Point to sky.)Jesus the Son of God, (Make cross with pointer fingers.)Let us hold firmly (Make fists with hands.)To the faith (Trace a cross with pointer finger.)We profess. (Point to heart and then mouth.)

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ConstructingBible StoryDay of Atonement, Leviticus 16; Jesus as High Priest, Hebrews 4:14-16 ; 5: 1-10

Supplies: cardstock, markers

Preparation: Cut approximately 5 inch circles out of the cardstock. Write the following point values, one per disc: 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 1000, 2000, 5000, ZONK. Tape the discs to a wall with the points toward the wall or place them facedown on a table.

To understand Jesus’ name, Great High Priest, we are going to play a game to help us learn about priests and what they did. This game is called ZONK!

Divide the kids into two teams. Choose one person to represent each team. Ask a question and then let the team decide an answer. Only the representative can give the answer. If correct, a disc is chosen and turned over. The team receives the number of points indicated on the disc. If the word “ZONK” ap-pears, the team loses all their points. Play until all the questions have been asked. Add up the points and declare a winner.

1. The priest’s job was to be act as man’s representative before God. In other words, to bring the people before God.

Answer: True

2. The priest offered the sacrifice upon the altar.

Answer: True

3. Anyone could be a priest. They would put on the ephod and that made them a priest.

Answer: FalsePriests were anointed and called by God. At about 30 years old, they would first be dipped in water and then anointed with oil. They would serve the position for 20 years.

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4. The first priest was Moses.

Answer: False.Moses was not a priest. His brother, Aaron, was the first priest.

5. Priests would offer sacrifices for their own sins and for the sins of the people.

Answer: True

6. The High Priest had a special job on the Day of Atonement.

Answer: True. He would take the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of holies, where he offered it as payment for the nation’s sins.

7. The High Priest was the only priest allowed to enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement.

Answer: True

8. The High Priest wore an ephod with stones of 10 tribes to show he was bringing the people into God’s presence.

Answer: FalseThe ephod had 12 stones.

9. The Day of Atonement happened twice a year.

Answer: FalseIt happened only once a year.

10. When the Great High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, the people would stand outside the temple waiting. When he reappeared to the people, they knew that their sins had been forgiv-en.

Answer: True

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Let’s read Hebrews 4: 14-16. It tells us how Jesus is our Great High Priest:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confi-dence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16”

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He came before God for us but instead of sacrific-ing an animal and sprinkling the blood on the altar, He was the sacrifice. Jesus did not offer the sacrifice for himself as He had never sinned. He did offer it for us. He was the self-offering that day. The day He died on the cross was like the Day of Atonement.

Jesus had been anointed by God to be the High Priest. God sent Jesus to earth for this very job. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we know that we only have to ask for forgiveness and God will give it to us. We do not have to ask a priest to make a sacrifice for our sin. We do not need a priest to go before God for us. We can go right to God because of Jesus.

Jesus, the Great High Priest, gives us complete forgiveness through his own self-offering.

PrayerThank Jesus for offering himself as a sacrifice for sin. Give the kids an opportunity to make a commit-ment to Jesus and asking for forgiveness for their sin.

junkyard wars storySupplies: Two golf balls, two blindfolds, sand, two plastic containers, plastic snakes, grass or leaves

Preparation: Pour sand into the containers. Bury a golf ball in the sand. Fill with water. Place the plastic snakes and grass or leaves in the containers.

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Have any of you played golf before? How about mini golf? On golf courses (and sometimes mini golf courses) there are water hazards. These might be ponds or lakes. They could be little swamps or even a river. If a golfer hits the golf ball into these hazards, it will sink. Sometimes, especially in a mini golf course, the golfer can get the ball out. But most times they cannot.

What happens to these balls? Do they just sit there forever? Actually, they might be found by golf ball divers. The divers are scuba divers that go down into the water hazards and pick up the balls. In one hour of diving, they can pick up about 1,400 balls. Then they sell them to com-panies who clean them up and resell them to golfers.

Jumping into a hazard to look for golf balls is not like jumping into a swimming pool. The water is murky. Usually the diver cannot see his hand in front of his own eyes. There are also dangers in the water. In Florida, divers must be careful to watch for snapping turtles, poison-ous snakes and alligators. Some divers have been bitten by snakes numerous times and have also been bitten by alligators. There are heavy weeds underneath the water that they can get entangled in along with fishing line and broken bottles.

The divers remind us of how Jesus gets into the murky water with us. He does not stand on the sideline watching us. Instead, he came to earth and lived like us. He was not afraid to get dirty and to live among the problems and temptations that we have. The scripture we read today says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness-es, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 He has been tempted and understands what it is like to live in the world we live in. He can sympathize with us when we are weak. But we also know that He can strengthen us when we feel weak and are tempted. We need to be willing to ask Him to help us resist tempta-tion.

I need two volunteers that do not mind being blindfolded or getting their hands dirty. (Choose two volunteers and blindfold them.) Inside a container in front of you is a water hazard. There is a golf ball somewhere in the hazard. You must try to find the golf ball. Be careful because you never know what is under the water. Ready? Go!

Remember that Jesus is a High Priest who understands what it is like to be tempted. He is ready to help us overcome that temptation. However, if we give into that temptation, He is ready to forgive us.

Let’s say our Bible verse together:Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

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junkyard wars competitionSupplies: newspaper, masking tape, golf balls, golf ball tee

Divide the kids into small groups. Give each small group the following:1. 1 golf ball2. 36 inches masking tape3. 4 sheets of newspaper

You must work together to build a golf ball tee. (Show the tee.) It can be in any shape, however, it must be freestanding on the floor. It cannot be taped to the floor. The ball cannot be taped to the tee. It must hold the ball up for 10 seconds. You will be competing with the other groups to make the tallest golf ball tee that will hold up the ball for 10 seconds. You will have ______ minutes to build your tee.

After the time limit, test each tee. Measure the ones that held the ball for 10 seconds. Measurement should be from the floor to the top of the ball.

The golf tee raises up the golf ball. It holds it above the ground. It makes the golf ball stick out.

For a long time the Jewish people had to offer sacrifices each year for their sins. Then, Jesus came. He was raised up above all the other sacrifices. His sacrifice of himself- a self-offering- was above everything else that had been made. His was perfect. It is through Him that we have complete forgiveness.

Jesus, the Great High Priest, gives us complete forgiveness through his own self-offering.

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testingjunkyard labSupplies: Golf clubs (putters are best), golf balls, plastic cups, newspaper, masking tape

Make a putt-putt golf course with each child (or pair of children) making a hole. Use the plastic cup, newspaper and masking tape to construct a fun hole.

When finished, allow the kids to play the course.

Did you get the golf ball in the hole the first time? It took practice. Often, you missed. Sin is called missing the mark. Jesus, as the Great High Priest, gives us forgiveness when we sin. He made this possible through His own self-offering on the cross.

craft: faith handprintSupplies: Cardstock, yarn, pencil, alphabet stamps or markers, glue, scissors

On a piece of cardstock, trace a hand with a pencil. Glue yarn onto the tracing. Stamp or write the letters “FAITH” on the fingertips (one letter per finger.)On the palm part of the hand write “Hold firmly.”

Games: take a hikeSupplies: chairs

Arrange chairs in a circle. Have all the kids sit in the chairs except one standing in the middle of the circle. The one in the middle says something like, “If you are wearing sandals, take a hike.” Everyone wearing sandals must get up and move seats. The one in the

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middle tries to get a vacated seat. The person left out stands in the middle.

Remind the kids that Jesus became one of us (man). Although He is the High Priest, He understands how we feel. If He were sitting in the circle playing, He would be able to join in with us.

bible memory: playground ballTherefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

Supplies: playground ball

Stand in a large circle. Have one person throw and bounce the ball once and another person catch it across the circle. Each time someone catches the ball, they must say the next word to the verse. Start out slow letting the group help each other. After everyone has memorized the verse, speed up the bounces saying the verse quickly.

express yourselfSupplies: Copy of questions for each small group

1. What did a High Priest do in biblical times?2. Why is Jesus called the Great High Priest?3. Priests sacrificed for their own sins and other people’s sins. Did Jesus do the same?4. Why can Jesus, the Great High Priest, sympathize with us? 5. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus was tempted by the same things you are tempted with? 6. Did Jesus ever give into the temptations? How does He help you overcome temptations in your life?

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snack: graham cracker ephodsSupplies: graham crackers, frosting, candy coated chocolates, knives, plates

Place a graham cracker on the plate. Frost. Place 12 pieces of candy (different colors) on the frosting to represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

Review what the ephod symbol tells us about the name, Great High Priest.

Trading CardsSupplies: printed card for each child, markers or crayons (optional)

Name: Great High PriestSymbol: Ephod

Verse: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

Give each child the card. If using the coloring cards, use markers or crayons to decorate them. Go over the verse together and review the symbol.

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Supply List

guess the junk: ☐Golf club

alex and Amanda: ☐Golf club

uncovering the name: ☐Picture of an ephod ☐Sign “Great High Priest”

bible story: ☐Cardstock ☐Markers

junk wars story: ☐Two golf balls ☐Two blindfolds ☐Sand ☐Two plastic containers ☐Plastic snakes ☐Grass or leaves

junk wars competition: ☐Newspaper ☐Masking tape ☐Golf balls ☐Golf ball tee

Junkyard lab: ☐Golf clubs (putters are best) ☐Golf balls ☐Plastic cups ☐Newspaper ☐Masking tape

craft: ☐Cardstock ☐Yarn ☐Pencil ☐Alphabet stamps or markers ☐Glue ☐Scissors

game: ☐Chairs

bible memory: ☐Playground ball

express yourself: ☐Copy of questions for each small group

snack: ☐Graham crackers ☐Frosting ☐Candy coated chocolates ☐Knives ☐Plates

trading cards: ☐Printed card for each child ☐Markers or crayons (optional)

Junkyard wars

family discussion:1. Why is Jesus called the Great High Priest?2. Did Jesus ever sin? 3. Why does Jesus understand the temptations we have?

family imaginative thinking:Think about what it means to forgive. Write the word “Sin” on a piece of paper with a pencil. Now erase it. Does it completely erase? When Jesus forgives us, is the sin completely gone?

family game:Make a mini golf course (or just one hole). Be creative! Is it hard to get the ball in the hole? When we “miss the mark” in life, Jesus is ready to forgive us when we ask.

Main Point: Jesus, the Great High Priest, gives us complete forgiveness through his own self-offering.

Bible Verse: Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16; Jesus as High Priest, Hebrews 4:14-16 ; 5: 1-10

Bible Story: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

express yourself

1. What did a High Priest do in biblical times?

2. Why is Jesus called the Great High Priest?

3. Priests sacrificed for their sins and other people’s sins. Did Jesus do the same?

4. Why can Jesus, the Great High Priest, sympathize with us?

5. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus was tempted by the same things you are tempted with?

6. Did Jesus ever give into the temptations? How does He help you over-come temptations in your life?

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